Ganapatipule

Vacation Trip to Ganapatipule, Ratnagiri, Maharasthra, India

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Ganapatipule is a small village on the Konkan coast with a series of beautiful beaches. Even after staying more than 10 years in Mumbai and hearing a lot about this magnificent place we have never been to Ganapatipule till the winter of 2009. Extending the weekend by a day we planned for a short trip and booked an overnight bus from Borivali. About 375 km south of Mumbai it took the entire night of half sleep half awake in an air conditioned coach to reach Ratnagiri. From Ratnagiri train station it's about 25 km ride on a rural road in an auto ricksaw. On the way there were a number of vantage points offering some stunning views of the Arabian Sea and cliffs. After an hour of entertaining ride we reached MTDC where we had reservation.

In spite of early arrival, the resort officials made best attempt to allow us to check in after a very moderate waiting time. After settling in at our room we visited the Swayambhu Ganpati Temple, on the Ganapatipule beach itself. The temple is the primary attraction in Ganapatipule that draws thousands of pilgrims every year to this village. According to a local folk lore, the Hindu god, Ganapati, taking umbrage by a remark made by a native lady, moved to Pule(a few km ahead of the village) from his original abode of Gule. Thus the region was named Ganpati-pule. The serenity of the temple represents the simplicity of the whole village. There is a free lunch (bhog) facility in the premise. The temple wasn't crowded and we worshiped Lord Ganapati. After a filling lunch we allowed our tired bodies into the bed and enjoyed a nice afternoon's nap.

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In the evening the beach looked different with temporary stalls of coconut water, tea but overall the seashore was not at all commercialized unlike other popular beaches in India. We relaxed in chair (not beach chair ☺) and ordered couple of green coconuts. Trust me after we finish drinking the water the inside white meat was as thick as it coule have get. We virtually tired of eating it at the end. The beach was slightly flocked by locals by as the sun was about to set. The twilight was stunning and the setting sun was perfectly picturesque for a wonderful photoshoot. In the evening the temperature dropped though not significantly but well enough for us to wrap up the stroll quickly and come back to the hotel room. The dinner in MTDC was so-so before we signed off for the night.

Regarding the stay in Ganapatipule if you have option just don't mess it up by booking any accommodation other than MTDC (Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation). Although there are other hotels, resorts & guest houses nearby but you'll lose the positional advantage that MTDC has. The resort has gigantic area with massive gardens, car parks and a various range of rooms raning from A/C, non A/C, self-contained and cottages. Inside the resort it's a nice walk along the pathways and not easy to cover the entire property on foot. The tragic part is the food - apart from breakfast we didn't like the main meals and survived on chinese. This is very unlikely of any MTDC resorts with decent restaurants. Although people can try out fish curries cooked in Konkan style if you are fond of fish.

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On the second day we maintained perfect leisure. Along with slow wake up and breakfast in the restaurant we enjoyed some good time in the beach swimming. The water was adequately warm and good quality to bathe. We spent more than an hour in the sea and till it was started getting crowded. On return to the resort after a shower we used the backdrop from our room balcony for a good photo shoot. Debarati brought the chair outside and sat on it with Arabian Sea & coconut trees in the backdrop. We went to the temple again for last time visit to Ganapati and bought some prasad (laddu) - though the laddu was not so appealing in taste. Back in MTDC for lunch - the food wasn't exciting either. But with very limited option outside we ate vegetarian dish in the restaurant. In the evening it was time to say goodbye.

Packed food from a local stall for dinner (which turned out to be the best) and took a long auto ride in the dark to Ratnagiri town. The return trip was slightly smooth as expected as we reach home early morning next day. Overall it was a refreshing experience to enjoy a weekend in this 'Splendor of Ratnagiri - Ganapatipule'.  
**Location :** Approx. 375 km south of Mumbai on Konkan coast  
**How to Get There :** Bus/Train to Ratnagiri. Continue on Rickshaw  
**Best time to Visit :** Winter months (November to February)  
**Attractions :** Beautiful beaches, clear water & Swayambhu  
**Not so Good :** Lack of good restaurants  
**Photo Gallery :** Click [Here](/gallery/photo/Ganapatipule/22) for Complete Album

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